King Charles military badge rollout delayed over fears China could 'use them for spying'
The military insignia is worn on the berets and other headdresses of UK military personnel.
The introduction of military badges specially redesigned to mark King Charles’s accession to the throne has been delayed, with claims British Army chiefs fear the insignia could be made in China, enabling Beijing to insert tracking devices into them.
Regiments which have a royal crest on their berets are changing “cap badges” from a design with the St Edwards’ crown favoured to the Tudor crown chosen by the King.
However, things have hit a snag because Wyedean Weaving, the Yorkshire-based company which has the contract to make the badges, uses factories in China, the Financial Times reported
One senior UK defence official said: “There is a fear that tracking devices or a GPS transmitter could be embedded in the cap badges.
“The result is a delay in the introduction of the cap badges as the UK does not have the capacity to manufacture them as quickly or as cheaply.”
Wyedean Weaving Co Ltd currently holds a contract for the supply of military badges, and is also, with Firmin & Sons, the supplier for His Majesty The King’s Coronation.
Express.co.uk understands no specific decision has been taken about outsourcing to China, with all procurement regulations based on best value for money for the taxpayer.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “Current cap badges are supplied by a UK-based company, with procurement undertaken in line with standard regulations.
“The procurement of new cap badges will happen once their requirements are finalised.”
A row erupted in Australia two years ago over reports that the country’s armed forces spent millions of dollars annually on Chinese-made military apparel and boots."
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British army badges, usually made from embroidered cloth for officers, and of metal for all other ranks - identify a soldier’s regiment and are worn on berets and other military headdresses.
Many regimental crests also bear a crown or the initials of the monarch, which have to be changed after the death of Elizabeth II in 2022.
Wyedean was awarded a £2.9 million, three-year subcontract in 2022 from US-listed defence services company Leidos to provide the UK military with badges.
Susannah Walbank, Wyedean’s systems director, said the family-owned company was currently awaiting final approval to start work on the badges.
She added: “China is part of our supply chains, we have been there for 15 years, have long-standing relationships, and there has never been any concern,”
She said the new cap badges would be made “in a mix of places, including China”.
